Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-01


matter OF the scope Of the District Commissioners
discretion In the approval Of liquor licenses 1t is
commended ON the part OF the prohibitionists that
under the terms OF the law this discretion ia abso
Iute- IL has been maintained on the part of the
commissioners that as the law Establishes a
License system, and practically protects the licensed
liquor dealers VINO meet certain requirements the
discretion Is very limited, and in the doubt as To
the construction OF the statutes the Commission.
ers are said by their critics 10 have found no nom
at all for the exercise OF this discretion There Il
perhaps, happy medium between the two posi-
IONA On the one hand II does not seem reason
aoie 10 view the discretion OF the Commissioners
as 50 broad that all licenses NAV be refused and
the statutes establishing license system with re-
quirenshtS preliminary 70 license rendered totally
lnoperative- OR the other hand, the law should
NOT In reason be so construed as 10 render The dis
eretoh granted the Commissioners empty and
meaningless. The grant OF a liquor license To a
KNOWN house OF il-fame would seem for in
stance, 10 De properly refused, no matter what
preliminary requirements had been met AZ
We have a license system II should IN. rtvti,v
enforced, unlicensed liquor dealing should t,a
ehookeo Dy suppression where conditions OF evil be-
yond those which accompany the best conducted
licensed saloons exist, and by compelling licenses
TO be taken In other eases Our eoFresnonaan,
suggests that license system Is an approach 10
pfoneition, IN THAT II prohibits unlicensed uuuor
oeanhg- Many advocates OF temperance accent
tAis view AID favor In cities very high license "a
being still further prohibition upon the nono,
traInc, and, In some Instances the most effecrtve
that can Dc obt2iRed But those prohibttio.,.ts
WHO 0os upon license system as pot q s,en
to"arus The right, but compromise with evil
resist IL Of course on principle In every form ~
which IL u proposed. Ia the New York leo,s,
tare, the ultra prohibition element Is allied wt,n
the liquor dealers 10 defeat II possible tina 6.,oh
hryh license liquor btil, which ffnts svono-, o.
INC o<ss practical temperance measure available
iratn The abiess part Of the teachers or ternnsr
anee and morality In New York city. The nI,ro
Pronlbitionists cannot OF course be reconr,,ad 70
any construction OF the license laws OF WASHING
t'u uuAeu uO$s hol. al the option OF the Commis
siooerss cut out all licenses root and branch
Tue eminent statesman who once referred In mn,
American parliamentary system as the most a,.s
&c uauef tne sun, was not FAR wrong. We have
hoe only model arrangement for the Preparation
y. NsisIseion before It's submission TO the body
which Is 70 adopt or reject It. aud the mos, bo,,
tiful provision for cutting short loI,o Mo-, -,
Date, bat Ne are able 70 accommodated o,,,aI, -,
the eser-Varying maximum and mtni,ou,o 40
aaAds for numerical representation IN Conores.
heres Ior example, are the states OF Flor,d. on,
Weot virginia Each Is eAtiIled To inst two Sena
tors, neither more nor less. Florida has 49,. CO,
ing along With only one Tor the whole OF the
ForIy-Alnth Congress, while West Virginia saaroS
10 fair way TO have three In the FrfIieth prh.ns
this Is In the ne OF the general principle or eoro
pensasion, which Is the same In politics as IN no
lare. Win four senators between them, the two
states WITH De IS We'll supplied as any other na,r
represented In the chamber. Mr.. Cali holds ever
and the Florida legislature has neglected 10 mi
MI. Joness vacant chair. Mr.. Kenna also holos
over; the governor OF West Virginia has appointed
VT. Lucas senator 70 succeed Mr. Camden: and
now the boiling democrats IN the legislature are
angry, and threaten To elect Mr.. Camden 10 s,,e
coed himself. In spite Of a state law which would
make such election invalid We may then witness
the spectacle OF a state represented by three Sen,
aeors-one bearing credentials four years old az a
4hhispataoie; one appointed By the governor IN
eeofasace with Law. and another elected ~ the
legislature against the law